Key fob will not lock or unlock

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m.c.

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A4 Cabriolet, B6, 52 reg.

The other day my fob stoped locking or unlocking the car, now i have to open with the key.
The central locking works from the buttons on the door once in the car and the lights blink when locking / unlocking with the key.
I have had the fob checked for a signal and was told it is ok.
I tried to rematch the key to the car following the methods on the forum but no change.
Any other ideas of what could be causing the problem, Cheers.
 
Tried replacing the battery? Low battery could be strong enough for a signal but not enough power to activate central lacking?
 
I tested an option in VCDS that when you set the car to Transport Mode, it disabled the remote locking, along with 1 or 2 other things. Exit Transport Mode returned it to normal. You haven't had it on VAGcom recently have you?
 
lock the car and leave it until the hazard light goes out

then press unlock on the fob if the hazard lights up it is getting the signal but not unlocking the doors

mine did this and I had to disconnect the battery for a few minutes then reconnect and all was well
 
Hi i had same problem with my fsi lights flashing but no sound . i put spare key in ignition. other in door pressed open 4 times . then again. works fine now.
 
Mines intermittent. Ocassionally doesnt work. Fuses? Not sure whether central locking is fused?
 
mine miss fired once last week! hasn't done it since and I pit it down to either a lowish car battery (now charged) or the receiver didn't pick up the signal. :shrug:
 
Just put key in ignition turn on (dont start) press lock and open button and all should be good if the battery is not dead.
 
Mine has done this a couple of times, tried all the usual things of holding lock / unlock, in door, in the ignition etc... nothing worked.
For some reason the car loses the code and it all needs re-coding, Audi charge about £40 to re-program it....
 
I've got the same problem with my spare, Demus can you just get this done at any Audi main dealer? I keep putting off sorting this, but I need to do it before I need it!
 
pbarlow0032 said:
Demus can you just get this done at any Audi main dealer? I keep putting off sorting this, but I need to do it before I need it!
Click to expand...

I'm guessing you can yes, I'm not sure if the buttons on my key are anything to do with it, it used to work from a hell of a distance, now you have to be in spitting distance.. batteries all ok.. It seems to do it if when walking to the car, I press unlock, it doesn't unlock due to the crap range, then press a couple of times more, it all gets out of sync and goes tits up.
I only have the one key and keep telling myself I really should get a spare, still haven't got one!!

Only takes about half an hour for the stealer to do.. if anything like mine they will also tell you that there are numerous fault codes stored, they have obviously read them, but won't tell me without another wad of cash, twats...
Got VCDS and no codes were stored !! (Oh, and that it was allegedly running rough ??)
Anyway rant over, check on here, there are some clever guys with the full VCDS and could probably do it for you cheaper than the stealer, sorry I mean main dealer...
 
you dont need it recoding at the dealer it will more then likely be the fob thats working loose and loosing contact with the battery

Open the fob and bend the battery pins out slightly loads of us had the same problems on here and did this and all has been fine since

do a search
 
That didn't work with my ****** unfortunately... I did wonder if the antenna in the car was ok, don't suppose anyone knows where it is ??
 
The receiver is by the centre speaker on the dash, where the flashing red LED resides
 
demus said:
Mine has done this a couple of times, tried all the usual things of holding lock / unlock, in door, in the ignition etc... nothing worked.
For some reason the car loses the code and it all needs re-coding, Audi charge about £40 to re-program it....
Click to expand...

audi have been pulling your pants down its really easy to do you just need 2 keys (1 doesn't have to be a remote key)





1) Take the key you DO NOT want to program and put it in the ignition. Turn it one click forward.
2) Close and lock the drivers door with the second key.
3) On the second key (the one in the drivers door) press the 'UNLOCK' button ONCE only. The lights will flash on the car, but the doors will remain locked
4) With the second key still in the drivers door, unlock then lock the door again.
5) Pull the key from the slot and test remote functions.
6) Open drivers door, remove key from ignition.
 
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Inertiauk said:
audi have been pulling your pants down its really easy to do you just need 2 keys (1 doesn't have to be a remote key)

Doesn't suprise me in the slightest, after all the crap about fault codes which didn't exist..

Thats persuaded me to get another key.. can that be programmed the same way as you said above??
Click to expand...
 
you will need SKC to code new key to car with vcds , you may have it on small tab with your handbook/key.
 
demus said:
Inertiauk said:
audi have been pulling your pants down its really easy to do you just need 2 keys (1 doesn't have to be a remote key)
Click to expand...


Doesn't suprise me in the slightest, after all the crap about fault codes which didn't exist..

Thats persuaded me to get another key.. can that be programmed the same way as you said above??
Click to expand...
the second key needs to be coded to the cars immobiliser system which does need to be done by a specialist. However there is a way around it if you don't have a second key.

get a plain key and have the blade cut, sit in the drivers seat with the window down and the 'cut but not immobiliser programmed' key in the door outside.

Put your original key in the ignition and turn to position 1.

either have a friend help or reach our through the open window and lock the car using the 'cut but not immobiliser programmed' key.

press unlock, lock, unlock on your original key, then remove it from the ignition. Remove the key from the door and test your fob, it should be working.

Hope this helps.
 
My spare key doesn't work as a remote but does open and lock the car in the door lock, and does start the car. I put a new battery in the spare key when I bought the car (a few months ago). Should the process InertiaUK mentions above work? I might have another fiddle with the battery pins (cheers STU_m).
 
Right, tried pulling the pins out a bit, battery is definitely making contact. Tried battery both ways up too just in case. Nothing at all happens when I press the unlock/lock button. No lights flashing etc, no locks unlocking! If I read the earlier posts correctly, it should still make the alarm lights blink evn if it isn't opening properly?
 
You did sync it first?
 
I've had the same problem twice now, without knowing the exact reason it stops working, in my situation, its been related to the antenna / receiver for the fob.

If you go into the boot, and simply try pressing the key fob in a few random places, hopefully, it will receive the signal and all will be well again - mine just works as per norm now :)
 
Inertia, I tried doing exactly what you describe in your first post, but when I press the unlock button on the (non working) key, there is no light flash. Am I missing something obvious?
 
audi upgrades
I recently had this. Took the car battery off, put it back on. All good.
 
pbarlow0032 said:
Inertia, I tried doing exactly what you describe in your first post, but when I press the unlock button on the (non working) key, there is no light flash. Am I missing something obvious?
Click to expand...

same here with my spare key,tried new batts and all different ways of coding and never get flashing lights?
 
The booster / Antenna for the fob / signal is in the boot, if you move the fob around the boot whilst pressing either lock or unlock etc, it will pick up a signal again.

This has worked everytime... resyncing, disconnecting battery etc just didnt work ...
 
audi upgrades
Stu!!! said:
The booster / Antenna for the fob / signal is in the boot, if you move the fob around the boot whilst pressing either lock or unlock etc, it will pick up a signal again.

This has worked everytime... resyncing, disconnecting battery etc just didnt work ...
Click to expand...

Could peoples problem be broken wires between the boot and main body?
 
Hi thats a strange one if it works in the boot but not outside the car could be a reciever problem, like i said earlier mines just stopped working both fobs..lights where flashing no sound i got in car turned ignition on and it stopped..i checked the forums and it just said open drivers window, put one ket in ignition turn but dont start other key in door press open 4 times lights should flash, then do it again and that should be it..i had to use key when it went on one i was like wtf....but its fine now both keys work

can you not get someone with vag-com in your area to check for error codes
 
Inertiauk said:
audi have been pulling your pants down its really easy to do you just need 2 keys (1 doesn't have to be a remote key)





1) Take the key you DO NOT want to program and put it in the ignition. Turn it one click forward.
2) Close and lock the drivers door with the second key.
3) On the second key (the one in the drivers door) press the 'UNLOCK' button ONCE only. The lights will flash on the car, but the doors will remain locked
4) With the second key still in the drivers door, unlock then lock the door again.
5) Pull the key from the slot and test remote functions.
6) Open drivers door, remove key from ignition.
Click to expand...


Thank you for that information, it worked a treat... on the 2nd go.
 
audi upgrades
Just to add to this, I had a problem with my remote key not working.
Just in case... have you looked in the cars handbook for the re-programming method?

I tried the battery which didn't solve it & then looked in the handbook for the car which gives a step by step instruction on how to re-program it to the car using your other key (assuming you have 2) I remember looking online and seeing several posts with varying methods mentioned..

I know re-programming it has been mentioned above, but might be worth a look in case for some reason there is a slightly different method of doing it on your car?
 
Just bringing an older thread back rather than starting a new one, as I now have the same problem.

Key fob has stopped working altogether. I've disconnected the battery and reconnected, turned ignition on and pressed lock/unlock, put a new battery in the fob, and tried the fob in and around the boot. None of this worked for me.

I'm guessing I'll have to try my local Audi garage, unless there's any final solutions I can try?
 
Press & hold the unlock button
Insert key in ignition& turn on still holding the unlock button
Hold unlock in the on position for two seconds
Turn key to off & remove from ignition & release button.
 
Inertiauk said:
audi have been pulling your pants down its really easy to do you just need 2 keys (1 doesn't have to be a remote key)





1) Take the key you DO NOT want to program and put it in the ignition. Turn it one click forward.
2) Close and lock the drivers door with the second key.
3) On the second key (the one in the drivers door) press the 'UNLOCK' button ONCE only. The lights will flash on the car, but the doors will remain locked
4) With the second key still in the drivers door, unlock then lock the door again.
5) Pull the key from the slot and test remote functions.
6) Open drivers door, remove key from ignition.
Click to expand...

Thank you!!! This worked perfectly.

Took me a couple of tries as I was in the "On" position which is the 2nd position even though you clearly said 1st.
 
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leonwilliams said:
Hi i had same problem with my fsi lights flashing but no sound . i put spare key in ignition. other in door pressed open 4 times . then again. works fine now.
Click to expand...
My problem is that the keyhole in the drivers door is jammed up, I cant unlock manually! Anyone have a good trick for unjamming the door lock??

So when the car doors dont unlock remotely (all of them), I have to climb in through the boot... and sometimes the boot remote doesnt unlock either... but those time I have been lucky, and didnt lock the car...

I will try the following, from a few other posts - hopefully on of those will do it. thanks to everyone!

1. Press & hold the unlock button
Insert key in ignition& turn on still holding the unlock button
Hold unlock in the on position for two seconds
Turn key to off & remove from ignition & release button.


2. The booster / Antenna for the fob / signal is in the boot, if you move the fob around the boot whilst pressing either lock or unlock etc, it will pick up a signal again.
This has worked everytime... resyncing, disconnecting battery etc just didnt work ...
 
Put some graphited 3in1 oil (halford’s) in the lock and on the key itself, then see if you can gently work it loose.
 
Thanks I'll try, it's -20C here in Montreal todayso I might wait a few days... :)
 
In that case it might be frozen - warm the key blade up with a lighter and let it sit in the lock for 10-20 seconds to see if it thaws out! Then treat the lock to some graphited oil to prevent it happening again.
 
Sorry I wasnt clear - the lock has been jammed for a few years, I've tried to work on it in the summer months as well, so the lock isn't frozen, just me!. basically the key wont go in more than a few millimeters, as if the little hinged door (or something just beyond) is blocking the entryway into the tumblers...perhaps I can rip it out with needlenose pliers or something, I'll try Thursday when it's +2C

thanks again
 
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